Once in my Lifetime

It’s not an easy thing to even mention, it’s churlish and spoil sporty but I can’t help feeling a little uneasy as the big event approaches, that now every time I see anything about the Olympic Games in London 2012, two familiar logos are always apparent.

I’m not going to mention the names of these two corporations as there is no need and they are highly litigious, even on a humble, little-read blog such as this, their hawk eyed lawyers will be checking every word.

Nothing can be said against them, they have beyond question won the battle. They are mighty, unassailable, beyond reproach. They can twist and manipulate laws and the news and any information which criticizes what they do is immediately expunged from the human timeline.

They are the proud sponsors of an event which glorifies human physical fitness and strenuous achievement. The only awkward part of that glorious goal is that a very vital part of the struggle for all the athletes involved is diet.

Athletes are really careful about what they eat. Just possibly corn syrup and saturated fats are fairly low of their diet sheets. I’ll go further, I’ll get really radical, they are not on their diet sheets at all, they would avoid such products at all costs.

But we accept that the two biggest sponsors of the Olympic movement, a fast food corporation and a ‘soft drink’ corporation have managed to buy their way into the picture. Not just for these games, the soft drink corporation has been involved since the 1920’s.

However the corn syrup aspect in relation to their refreshing product needs to be highlighted. Back in the 1920’s they didn’t use it, it wasn’t invented, they used sugar. A lot of sugar I’ll grant you, the equivalent to putting 8 spoons of sugar in a cup of tea, but it was just sugar and less harmful than corn syrup.

Since the 1970’s they have used corn syrup, why? Because it’s cheaper.

Does corn syrup help to make people fat? Yes.

Were there any cases of childhood obesity in Japan before the first fast food restaurant opened in Tokyo in the early 1980’s? No, not one, ever in their history.

Are there cases now? Yes, a horrendous level just like here and in the USA.

Is corn syrup used in all soft drinks and processed food. Yes.

Should we consume these products? No.

Why do we consume these products? Because they are ubiquitous, heavily promoted, highly profitable, tasty, easy, cheap.

Is any of this worth worrying about, should we be concerned that these two multi national giants are getting even more positive publicity and exposure because of their involvement?

I don’t know, it’s probably okay to feel slightly uncomfortable, as long as you keep it to yourself.